Recombining plasma created by different harmonics of Nd laser radiation

A comparative analysis was made of the various methods for heating a laser plasma with Nd laser radiation. Methods of heating with the first and second harmonic pulses of different durations were compared. Diagnostics by x-ray spectroscopy yielded the parameters of a recombining plasma (temperature and density) and the populations of excited levels of the Al XII ion at different distances from the surface of an aluminum target. The experimental results on population inversion of the excited levels were compared with theoretical calculations.